Reduction-furnace



Patented Mar. 1 20.

. 2 SHEETS-SH jlfnnf'ar Z- JBI'JJ.

E. J. BIRD.

REDUCTION FURNACE; APPLICATION F4|LED JUNE 12. 1919.

Morn e y E. J. BIRD.

REDUCTION FURNACE.

APPLICATlON FILED JUNE 12, 1919.

1,333,95Qw Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

. SHEET 2- 2 SHEETS W inin EDWARD J. BIRD, F ASHLANZD, KENTUCKY.

REDUCTION-FURNACE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dial. 16, 1920.

Application filed June 12, 1919. Serial No. 303,602.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Enwenn'd. BIRD, a citizen of the United States, residing at rishlaud, in the county of Boyd and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reduction-Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to reduction furnaces such as blast furnaces and the like and methods and apparatus for charging the same with material to be reduced therein.

In a furnace of this character. it is important to keep the furnace top closed to prevent the escape of the gases which are forced through fines for preheating the air, also for generating the steam necessary for the ope at-ion of the furnace. "FLlltllellllOle, the charge should be evenly mixed and dis tributed so that the coarse and fine material will be evenly affected by the ascending hot gases of the furnace.

The chief object of invention is to pro vide a method and apparatus whereby a furnace may be charged and the chargeevenly mixed and distributed so that the reduction will be uniform. 7

With the above and the related objects in view my invention comprises the method and means hereinafter described, an embodiment whereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and is embraced within the scope of the appended claims.

In the said drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a blast furnace provided with my improvements;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing av modified form of a distributor in connection therewith.

Referring more particularly to the drawings for a detail description of my invention, the furnace proper comprises a cylindrical metallic shell 5 filled with a refractory material, such as brick-work 6 or the like, and provided interiorly with a circumferential seat or shoulder 7. On top of the shell are mounted posts or pillars 8-, the bases of the pillars being reinforced by metallic brackets 9. The pillars support a girder 10 provided with a central bearing 11. Centrally above said bearing is mounted a spider-like base 12 for a cylinder 13. The

is a section on the line 33 of cylinder is provided with a piston 14: having a shaft 15 provided with a worm thread 16 in mesh with a similar thread of the bear ing 11. The furnace is provided interiorly with a floor 17. braced by brackets 18, said floor being provided with a bearing 19 for the shaft 15. is a conical distributor 20 provided on its upper surface with ribs 21 and an intercepter 2 is supported by the shoulders 7 surrounding the rim of the distributer 20, which rim is projected slightly through the opening and in contact with the edge of the intercepter, said contacting portion of the distributer being free of the ribs. The cylinder 13 is provided with ports connected with a steam pipe 23 adapted to supply steam on opposite sides of the piston, said pipe being connected with a steam supply pipe 2% through a compound valve 25 adapted to be operated by ropes or wires 26. The cylinder is also provided with valve controlled exhaust-s 97. The floor 17 provided with openings 28 and with track rails 29. v

The modified distributor shown in Fig. -1- is in every respect similar to the distributor shown in Fig. 2 except that it is provided with curved ribs 30.

The operation is as. follows :Assuming that the piston is at the upper end of its stroke the ore to be reduced is conveyed by car or other means to one of the openings 28 and is discharged through the same into the furnace. The charge drops onto the intercepter, filling the triangular space between the said intercepter and the distributer 20. Steam is admitted through the upper port of the cylinder by operating the valve by means of the ropes 26, this causes the piston to descend opening the valve of the lower exhaust and causing the shaft 15 to descend and at the same time to rotate in its Worm hearing. The distributor 20 thus descends forming an opening through which the charge escapes and, due to the rotary movement, the ribs 21 act as shovels forcing the charge from the interceptor onto the distributor and thence down into the furnace causing it to drop in screw-like spiral spray so that itwill spread and be deposited in a layer of uniform thickness. I thus provide equal freedom for the ascending gaseous matter and obtain uniform melting with an economy of fuel and labor.

When the entire charge has been released,

Suspended from the shaft 15 the 'alvc 25 is operated for introducing steam at the bottom of the cylinder causing" the piston to move upwardly in the cylinder opening the valve of the exhaust above it causing the distributer to move upwardly and closing the opening of the intercepter. The receiver is then ready for another charge. 7

Having thus described the invention, what is claimee as new is: I

1. The combination with a furnace having a feed opening in its top, of an intercepter in the furnace adjacent and below said opening, a distributer cooperating with said intercepter to control the flow past the same, and a single mechanism for moving said distributer from and to the intercepter and simultaneously rotating the distributer alternately in opposite directions.

The combination with a furnace, of a floor extending over the top of the furnace and having a feed opening therethrough, an intercepter within the furnace below said floor, a shaft extending through said floor, a distributer on the lower end of said shaft controlling the flow past the intercepter, and means above the floor to rotate the shaft horizontally alternately in opposite directions and reciprocate it vertically.

.3. The combination with a furnace having a feed opening in its top, of a shaft extending vertically through the top of the furnace and having a theaded portion near its upper end, a distributer carried by the lower end of said shaft within the furnace,

an interiorly threaded stationary bearing above the furnace which receives the threaded portion of the shaft, and means actingon the upper end of the shaft for moving" the shaft axially through the threaded bearing whereby as the shaft is reciprocated it will be rotated alternately in opposite directions;

4:. The combination with a furnace havinga feed opening in its top, of a vertically disposed cylinder disposed above the top of the furnace, a piston in said cylinder, a shaft dependingfrom said piston through the top of the furnace, means for admitting fluid to the cylinder to reciprocate theipiston therein, a distributer carried by the lower end of said shaft, and a threaded bearing for said shaft whereby the shaft will berotated as it moves endwise with the piston. V

The combination. with a furnace, of olumns erected thereon, a girder supported on said columns and having an internally threaded bearing therein, a shaft extending vertically through the top of the furnace and having a threaded portion -near upper end engaging in said bearing, a distributer on the lower end of said shaft, and means supported on said girder over said hearing for vertically reciprocating the shaft through the bearing whereby the shaft will be rotated alternately in, opposite directions as it reeiprocates.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature,

EDWARD J. BIRD. a s.] 

